Screen



Aug. 3 1926. 1,594,788

` M. J. MCLAUGHLIN ET AL SCREEN Fiied Jan. so, 1925 ATTORNEYS WITNESSES Patented Aug. 3, `1626.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

mm JOSEPH HOLAUGHLIN AND DANIEL JEFFERSON HARRISON, 0F HOUSTON,

TEXAS.

SCREEN.

Application tiled January 30, 1925. SerialI No. '5,858.

Our invention relates generally to improvements in' screens,more particularly to an improved tubular screen adapted for application to a perforated well tube or .the

lke, and it consists in the combinations, constructions and arrangements herein de'- scribed and claimed@ An object of the invention is to provide a screen of the character described which will afford facilities'for preventing passage of sand, small stones, and like objects, between the space within a perforated tube to which the screen has been applied and the space surrounding the screen.

A further object ofo the invention is the provision of a screen of the 'character described having a body adapted to surround a perforated tube and having means for spacing the body from the perforated tube so that an annular space will be provided between the strainer body and the tube forthc free passage of liuid through the perforations of the tube to the interior thereof, the strainer body having spaced slots through which fluid may pass to the space beween the strainer body and perforated tu e. t

A further object of the invention is the provision of a strainer of the character described Which is formed with a slotted body and in such manner, as to ermitpractically unrestricted movement of) iiuid from the space surrounding the strainer body to the interior thereof Without undue wear on the walls of the slots of the body.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a slotted screen body and perforated tube construction which will be extremely strong and durable in use and at the same time will permit practically free movement of fluid from the space surroundl ing the strainer body to the interior of the tube, and will exclude sand, small stones, and the like. f-

@ther objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description considered in conjunction iwith the accompanying drawings, in whichz- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a well tube equipped'with a strainer embodying the invention,

Figure 2`is a longitudinal central section through the construction exhibited in Figure 1, with a portion of the perforated tube along 'longitudinally extending imperforate portions 2 and apertured portions 3 having spaced radially extending openings as indicated at 4. The relative Widths 0f the imperforate portions 2 and the perforated portions 3 of the tube l may vary according to the thickness of the tube l or other partlcular requirements in a given case, but preferably are approximately equal, as shown. lThe strainer body comprises a pair of collars or retaining rings 5 and 6 respectively, and a plurality of tubular sections 7 which 'are arranged in longitudinal series on the tube l between the collars 5 and 6. The collars 5 and 6 are adapted to fit closely on the tube 1 and preferably taper toward their outer ends as shown. The greatest outer diameter of each collar 5 and 6 is not greater than the outer diameter of each section 7 and preferably is the same as the outer diameter of each section 7. The innerdiameter of each section 7 is greater than the outer diameter of the tube 1 and each tubular section 7 is formed to provide alternating longitudinally extending imperforate portions 8 and other portions 9 which are apertured by transversely extending spaced slits l0. The Width. of each apertured portion 9 preferably is the same as the width of each imperforate portion 8 of the tubular section 7 although the relative widths of the perforate portions 9and the imperforate por- "95 tions 8- may vary according to particular requirements in a given case. The collars 5 and 6 are arranged at opposite ends of the hereinbefore mentioned portion of the tube l having the alternating longitudinally ex-y tending imperforate portions 2 and perforate portions 3 and the number and. relative arrangement of the perforate porgroove 11 .preferably is coextensive in length with the slit 10 into which it is merged.

Each tubular section 7 is formed with sockets 12 in the inner walls of the imperforate portions 2 at one end of the tubular section and with inwardly offset integral lugs 13 on the imperforate portions 2 at the opposite end of the tubular section, the respective lu s 13 being in alinement longitudinally o the section with the corresponding sockets 12. Each lug 13 extends for part of its length on the tubular section inwardly of the adjacent end of the latter, and extends for the remainder of its length beyond the adjacent end of the tubular section, and therefore, yis adapted to enter the correspondin socket 12 in the adjacent tubular section when the adjacent tubular sections 7 are arranged on the perforated tube '1 as shown in the drawings, and as best seen in Fi re 2.

Eac tubular section 7 also is formed with other lugs 14 extending inwardly on the imperforate portionsl 2 of that l tubular section, there preferably being a lug 14 between the alined lug 13 and socket 12 of each im- .perforate portion 2 midway between the ends of the tubular section. The thickness of each lug 14 preferably is the sameas thatof each lug 13 so that both the lugs 13 and 14 serve as spacing lugs to space the tubular section 7 from the outer wall of the tube 1. The collar 6'is rovided with sockets 15 similar to the sockets 12 for the reception of the lugs 13 on the adjacent tubular section 7. The collar 5 is provided at its inner end with lugs 16 similar to the lugs 13 for engaging with the sockets 12 in the adjacent tubular section 7.

From the foregoing descri tion of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof mayl be readily understood. The greatest use of the screen will be in connection with the usual tube of an oil well, although it is capable of use with any perfo-` rated tube. Asis well known, the perforated tube extends downward 'in a well bore through sand, and it is necessary that the sand be excluded from the tube without materially restricting the flow of oil or like fluid into the well tube. The portion of the well tube at the lower end of the sand has the walls of the slits through which one of the collars 5 or 6 (in the construction illustrated in the drawings, the collar 6), rigidly secured thereto by welding or such collar may be integral with the well tube.

As many of the sections] as are required to extend through the sand are arranged on the well tube which is perforated at intervals along its circumference as hereinbefore described. The sections 7 are' arranged relav .l tively vso that the lower section is locked t o the collar 6 and each succeeding section 7 1s locked'to the nextlower sectionl by means ofthe hereinbefore describedlugs and sockets and the sections 7 thus are held in concentric spaced relation to the tube 1 and i on enter the sockets l2 of the upper tubular section 7. The collar 5 then is secured to` the tube 1, preferably by welding so that it will be rigid with the tube. The outer surface of the strainer body will be freefrom any protrusions which would interfere with the vertical movement of the tube 1 with the strainer body thereon in the bore of a well orthe forcing of the well tube through sand or like formation. It of course will be understood that the strainer body is arranged on the well tube before the latter is projected downwardly to a desired position in the well. Since the slits 10 are relatively narrow, practically all the sand, small stones and like foreign matter Vwill be excluded from the interior of the screen, while the fluid will be permitted to pass through the slits 10 into the annular space, indicated at 17, which is provided between the tubular sections 7 and the well tube. In actual practice, however, some sand will pass through the slits and it is of advantage that the grooves 11 be suiiciently shallow to provide a wearing surface for the sand of sufficient area to preclude impairment ofthe strainer in. an unduly short time and to provide the desired strength and durability, while it also is desirable that the grooves 11 shall be of suiiicient depth and the slitsl l() therefore commensurately shallow to permit practically unrestrictediow of fluid from the exterior of the strainer body into the space between the strainer body and well tube, without weakening the strainer body. The depth of the grooves 11 therefore ma be varied to correspondingly va the deptili of the slits 10 according to particular requirements for satisfactory use of the device under particular conditions, which of course, will be determined by the size and nature of the sand particles, pressure at which the fluid is forced into the strainer body and the like. An important advantage whlch the invention provides is that the rate of wearin o passes into the space 17 varies according to the de th of the grooves 10, and therefore is capab e of control, while the strainerxbody will be strong and durable, irrespective of whether the grooves 11 are relatively shallow or relatively deep. The perforate portion of the well tube 1 also will be relatively strong and durable for a pipe formed of metal of a given gage, since the tube 1 is tween the body of the strainer and the well Lemay/ss l. A screen comprising a plurality of tu bular sections., each having the wall thereof formed to consist of alternating apertured and imperforate portions extending longitudinally of the section, and each having inwardly extending spaced lugs on said imsaid lugs extending beyond one end of said tubular section inwardly of the outer eriphery thereof, said tubular section having sockets in tlre imperforate portions thereofat its opposite end corresponding in number and relative arrangement with the lugs at the first named end of the tubular section, corresponding lugs and sockets at meeting ends of adjacent sections being'co-engaged, a collar having sockets in its inner face at its inner end for the reception of the extending lugs at theadjacent end of the adjacent tubular section, and a second collar having lugs on its inner face extending beyond the inner end of the collar for engagement with the sockets at the end of the tubular section which is adjacent to said second named collar.

"being 1 2. In'combinaton, a tube having a portion formed with circumferentially spaced series of spaced apertures in the' wall thereof, the wall of said tube being imperforate between said series of apertures, a screen comprisingA a tubular body having `a length slightly greater than the perforated vportion of said rst named tube, and having an inner di-I ameter greater than the outer diameter of the said first named tube,

gitu nally extendin imperforate and slitted portions, the s itted portions corresponding in number with the apertured por- A.tions of the wall of said first named tube, said screen body having lugs on its inner face for spacing said screen body from the outer wall of the first named tube, certain of said lugs extending beyond one end of the screen body, a collar rigidly secured on said first named tube at one end of the perforated portion thereof and having sockets in its inner face at the inner end thereof for the reception of the lugs at'the adjacent end of said screen body, and a second collar secured on said firstl named tube at the opposite end of the apertured portion thereof, said second collar having lugs at its inner end fitting in the sockets in the adjacent end portion of the screen `bod whereby said screen body is held against turning on the first named tubular member and the apertured ortions of the wall of the screen body are isposed radially outward from the perforated portions of the wall of the first named tube.

MALACHA JOSEPH McLAUGHLlN. DANIEL JEFFERSON HARRISON.

said screen body formed to comprise alternating lon- 

